


Echos of You

by Caraina (xxCarainaxx)



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Genre: Hard spoilers for the end of Skyward Sword, Just Friendship, No Romance, Other, Slight spoilers for the end of Wind Waker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-06 07:45:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14052237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxCarainaxx/pseuds/Caraina
Summary: Some friendships lasted a moment.Some lasted a lifetime.Maybe it was the eternal struggle of good vs. evil, or maybe you were just extra like that, but you were determined to outlast them all.This was written for Cloudy Luminosity, for the April 2017 Fic Trade on Lunaescence.Prompt: Of the few things I can almost remember, why does your face stand out?





	1. Flyskoft

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my Luna account!
> 
> I don't own any part of Nintendo, but maybe I should consider my stock options.  
>   
> Reviews help pay off student loans!! (Except they don't. No one is getting money from this. *deep sigh*)  
> __________________________________________________________

The sky was a vibrant blue, as per usual, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. The sun was sinking quickly. The sea of cream colored clouds below you turned to fire, as its rays bathed everything in golden orange light. You could feel your Loftwing’s excitement, as you began to recognize the territory around you. For weeks now, you and your Loftwing had been exploring new areas of the sky and charting the islands that you had found. It was long, and sometimes lonely work, but it was an important job. You had found a number of uninhabited islands with the basics needed for survival, but most importantly, you had found an abundant source of material for building and crafting. In fact, most of your saddlebags were fat with samples to sell at market once you had returned. This time, you would have to make much more money than usual. On top of your usual expenses, you also needed to convince Gondo to fix up some of the instruments you used to test the stability of an island.

You adjusted your goggles as you felt the telltale signs of turbulence approaching. You clung to your Loftwing’s back as the two of you twisted and wove through the shifts in the air pressure, the updrafts, and anything else thrown at you. As things calmed down for a bit, you found yourself dreaming of finally being home for a while. You loved everything about your job, absolutely everything, but roughing it for a month or two at a time really helped someone appreciate a soft bed and a hot bath.

Familiar surroundings began to appear around you, and you felt the anticipation in your heart. A small smile crept across your face as you recalled a conversation you had had one particularly boisterous night at the Lumpy Pumpkin Pub.

“You love goin’ out there so much, one day I reckon you’ll leave, and you won’t come back!” a fantastically drunk old man had roared, while laughing and slapping your back. 

If your hazy memory of the night could be trusted, you had responded with an equally drunken cry. “Not true! That is not true, and I’m munna tell you why… I leave my _heart_ ” -- you had slapped your hand over your chest --“in Flyskoft… and I always have to return to it!”

The whole pub may have then spent the next 15 minutes laughing at you, while you attempted to correctly name the location of your heart, but the sentiment had been real. Even as you entered the outer rim of islands labeled on most Skyloft maps, you felt so impossibly happy to be home. 

 

In a stroke of inspiration, you leaned your body along the length of your Loftwing and curled your fingers in amongst his teal feathers.  
“Zeph! What’dya say we unload most of this stuff in one of our stashes and take the rings home?” you called out. Your bird, Zephyr, let out a cheerful squawk. 

The rings were an anomaly that had yet to be explained by science. In some areas of the sky, a ring of rock could be found in amongst the islands. If one were to fly through the center, their Loftwing would receive a temporary boost of speed, serving as both blessing and curse. It was a blessing in the sense that you could arrive home as much as half an hour earlier that you would have normally. It was a curse in that a Loftwing carrying a large load could be strained by the additional force of being shot through a ring, sometime to the point of injury. You had always been very weary of using the rings leaving Sykloft, knowing that the return trip would usually be much longer and far slower. 

You both landed on a smaller island. You had fitted thick iron bars into the mouth of an indent on the side of the island, as well as a makeshift door, forming a sort of cage. You pulled out a large ring of keys from one of your saddle bags, and flicked through the various keys until you had found the right one. Throwing the door open, you opened up the chests that you kept there to inspect what of this stash had withstood the test of time. This stash, it seemed, you had recently emptied, as all you could find was a wooden shield, and a few bottles of mushroom spores. Quickly, you unpacked most of your bounty into the chests before relocking the cage door behind you. 

You were about to offer Zephyr a nip of food before trekking the rest of the way home, when something odd caught the corner of your eye. Not too far off, on a crumb of a rock in the sky, was an odd splash of purple. The sun was much lower in the sky, balancing precariously on the edge of the horizon, but even in the fading light, the color was quite eye catching. Curiosity tugged at you as you looked out at the color.  
“What d’ya reckon that is, Zephee?” you asked as you rubbed down his side. He nipped at your shoulder in irritation at what was slowly morphing into a predictable chain of events, but you payed him no mind. Giving him the food, and pinch of mushroom spores, you stroked his bill lovingly. “You know we have to go over there! Please? It’s not even that far out of the way!” you wheedled. 

He let out a frustrated squawk, but you already knew that you had won. With a swift kiss on your Loftwing’s cheek, you swung up into the saddle, and the two of you were off.


	2. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are separate moments from the future that echo something happening in the present story.  
> _______________________________________________________________

As you got closer, the elated curiosity in the pit of your stomach slowly turned to dread. “That’s a person, isn’t it?” you called out. “I don’t like this. Put me next to them, okay?” 

You would have simply landed next to them, except there barely seemed to be any room for both the stranded young woman and her Loftwing. You swore softly as you calculated just how large the island was. In your experience, islands under a certain size weren’t the most stable. If it was small enough, it wouldn’t take much to knock it right out of the sky.  
This was going to be tricky. 

“Hey!” you called out to them, once you got close enough. “Are you okay?” 

The young woman started out of her position curled up against her Loftwing. “What? Oh! Thank the Goddess! Yes! My Loftwing was hit, and she injured her wing! Please help!”

You gave her a thumbs up.  
Looking out at the horizon, you saw the last sliver of sun peeking out at you. This woman didn’t look like a knight, so you assumed that flying at night was a no go. Looking out at the islands around you, you concluded that the best plan for the night was to heal up her Loftwing and spend the night on the same island that you had stashed your bounty. Rifling through your bags, you pulled out the bottle of mushroom spores that you had just used on Zephyr. 

You were about to explain your plan to the young woman, when her Loftwing suddenly moved to get up. She scratched at the earth with her talons in excitement, and threw her head into the air to let out a triumphant caw. You could have sworn that your heart had dropped into the cloud sea below when you saw the large chunk of earth fall off the bottom of their rock. Immediately, you stuffed the bottle in your hand into one of the pouches in your belt. Diving through your saddlebags again, you pulled out three more bottles of the stuff, ignoring the young woman's cries. You didn’t have time to explain to her what was happening. You didn’t have time to explain your plan. The rock was going to fall, and it was going to take her with it if you wasted even a second. 

“Zephyr, catch the girl and take her to our stash!” you cried out. He squawked in protest, but you had already rolled off his back. 

The rock had started its slow descent while you had searched through your saddlebags, but now it was plummeting in earnest. You were thankful for your goggles as you dove, straight as an arrow. The woman was holding onto her Loftwing as the bird did her best to uselessly flap her injured wing. They had separated from the falling rock, but they weren’t making much progress. Catching up to them, you pulled the young woman from the saddle, and pushed her towards your approaching Loftwing, giving her a thumbs up. You could see just how hesitant she was to leave her partner in such a moment of peril, but she seemed to understand that you had a plan. 

The clouds below were fast approaching, night was claiming the skies, and the Loftwing beneath you was panicking at the loss of her rider. You maneuvered so that you were in front of the Loftwing and gave her a thumbs up before moving so that you were underneath the large bird. Despite the gloves you wore, your fingers were completely numb as you fumbled with the latch for one of your pouches. Finally pulling it open, you poured out the entire bottle over the bird. The golden powder streamed over her body as you fell, and you could tell that it was taking effect. You fumbled with another bottle, pouring the entire contents of that over the bird as well, taking care to make sure that each wing got a healthy dose. She let out a terrific caw, and began to flap her wings mightily. Her descent had stopped, but yours continued.

Summoning what little magic you had, you channeled it into your arms, protecting them from strain and injury as you unfastened your sailcloth and unfurled it. It flapped uselessly for a moment before it finally caught, and the speed of your descent abruptly slowed. Your magic could only last so long before you would be left to depend on your own raw strength. You looked around for the large purple bird, but it was nowhere to be seen.

You tramped down the panic that was starting to wrap around your heart, but your magic was running out, and you hadn’t exactly had enough time to make up a backup plan. Thankfully, a loud caw from behind you assured you that you had not been abandoned. 

~*~

_“Milady, I’m ready to leave whenever you are!”_

_Zelda’s eyes widened as you finished saddling your horse. “[Name]...” she murmured softly in awe._

_Your shoulders straightened as you both wondered how she knew your name._

_Impa’s shouts could be heard from the other room, breaking the moment, and the young ruler clenched the ocarina that her family had passed down for generations. “[Name],” she began again. “You don’t have to do this…”_

_He was getting closer. If she was going to escape, she needed to get away now. The determination in your eyes never faltered, but the serious scowl that held your mouth spread into a smile. You shrugged. “You’re right. I don’t have to do a lot of things…”_

_Impa burst into the room, a heavy saddle bag over her shoulder. “Princess! We must leave… What’s this? You are not coming with us,” she told you, no room for argument left in her voice._

_You ducked your head in a nod, not meeting her eyes. “I understand that, but I’d like to defend you as long as I can.”_

_She raised a cool eyebrow before marching forward and situating the saddle bag on her horse. Once her horse was ready to leave, she barked out your name. You stiffened and finally met her eyes. She pierced you with her gaze, making certain that you understood her. “You cannot get in our way.”_

_You offered a short bow. “Yes ma’am!”_  
_She nodded and swung herself onto her horse, before pulling the young princess up with her. You scrambled up onto your own horse and curled your fingers around the reigns. Zelda looked back at you with fear and concern dancing in her eyes, but you only gave her a tight smile and a thumbs up.  
Impa wasted no time. She dug her heels into her horse’s sides and they charged forward. You dutifully charged after them. _

_The three of you exhibited no hesitation as you charged through the quiet main square. People dove out of the way as you beat a hasty retreat towards the main gate.  
Something dark burst from one of the side streets behind you, nearly spooking your horse into throwing you._

_Ganondorf had found you._

_Without pause, you reached into a large bag at your side and threw a handful of pellets at the ground behind you. As they hit the ground, they let out a large crack and a flash, blinding the man and startling his horse. Impa spurred her horse on faster, while you slowed yours in an effort to delay your dark pursuer even more. You could hear his frustrated growl as you threw more pellets at him, causing his horse to flinch once more._

_The main gate was just ahead, and the drawbridge had been already lowered. You turned to throw one last handful, only to realize your mistake. You had slowed too much. You turned to find his grinning face a scant breath away from yours._

_To your horror, he lifted you off of your horse by the back of your shirt. As you were but a waif of an 11-year-old, this was easily done. He tossed you to the side just after charging through the main gate, your horse lost somewhere in the advancing darkness behind you._

_You were caught by the cold hands of the moat.  
The water engulfed you before you had a chance of holding your breath, and the current of the water washed you away. As you struggled to the surface for air, one thought burned through your entire being. _

_‘I hope it was enough...’_

\------------------------------------------

Once you were properly saddled, you directed the Loftwing through the twilight towards your temporary hideout. As you got closer, you could make out Zephyr restlessly circling the small island in worry. Once he spotted you, he practically trumpeted before rushing to circle you. The young woman let out a cry as well as you made way to land. 

“You’re okay! I can’t believe you’re okay! I can't believe that happened! I've never seen an island just fall out of the sky like that!!” she rambled, still processing her near death experience. 

You let out a laugh as you furiously rubbed your hands together. “That's why the map ends where it does, little pebbles like that aren't big enough to sustain much of anything. You were lucky that I showed up when I did!” 

As soon as you dismounted, she fiercely hugged her Loftwing before carefully feeling the joints and tendons of her wing. 

You went to say something to the young woman, when Zephyr chose that moment to get his revenge. Repeatedly, he pushed you with his beak, occasionally squawking at you. Laughing, you finally laid down in defeat, only for him to sit partially on top of you. 

You grunted, the smile slipping off of your face. “Damn! Zeph! I had a plan!” You hit uselessly at his side while he proudly ignored your struggling. “Fine! I’m sorry! I’m reckless and I make you worry and I’m sorry. Is that good enough?” 

He let out an unimpressed honk before standing up. You grumbled as you made your way to your feet, before realizing that the girl and her Loftwing had been watching you. “Ah, sorry! I’m [name], and this here is Zephyr.”

While her Loftwing looked skeptical, the young woman was beaming at you. “Good to meet you!” she chirped, before introducing herself and her own Loftwing. “Zephyr, thank you so much! You’re an incredible flyer!” She gave him a smile like sunshine.

Zephyr stood a little straighter and you patted his side. “That’s because he’s special,” you explained, while grabbing your ring of keys from the saddle bag once more. “The Goddess made all of the Loftwings to guard over us, but a different Goddess was in charge of making this guy.” All of them, including Zephyr, looked at you in confusion. A smarmy smile cut across your face as you pressed yourself into his plumage. “Zephyr was made by the Goddess of Assholes~” 

 

He gave no reaction, but he made sure to knock you over when he took off in search of a better perch to sleep on. Between bouts of roaring laughter, you called out declarations of love for your overworked Loftwing, completely missing the dubious look the other Loftwing shot you as she followed Zephyr out. 

Finally, you calmed down enough to get back to your feet. “Sorry about that, we try to keep each other humble. Shall we move inside for the night?” You unlocked the door and made yourself busy with rummaging through your stores for suitable gear to survive the night. “So what were you doing all the way out here?” you called over your shoulder. She swung the door shut behind her before perching on one of the treasure chests you weren't rummaging through. 

“Well, I guess I just wanted to just come to the border to see what was out here,” she answered sheepishly.

“I don’t suppose I have to tell you how dangerous that can be,” you returned with an amused air. You folded up your saddle blanket into a passable bedroll before tossing your actual bedroll to your companion.

She fumbled in catching it, clearly flustered at your teasing comment. “I wasn't going to go all the way out! I was just… looking…” she defended weakly. 

“Oh?” You regretfully broke your wooden shields in half in order to have wood for a fire. “What for?” There was a long pause as you managed to get a spark to catch on your collection of random scraps and junk. You watched the flame carefully, both blowing on the embers, and protecting the flame from the wind. 

~*~

Zelda watched you carefully cultivate the fire. The glowing embers reflected in your eyes made you seem ageless and wise.  
There had been no need for you to introduce yourself to her. She had known you her whole life. She had always looked up to you. You just seemed to walk through the world with a confidence that she could not seem to replicate. Where life only presented her with more mysteries, the world seemed to stumble over itself to provide you with answers.  
Where you stood was the right place to be. 

Before she could stop herself, she blurted out the question that had been festering inside of her.  
“Have you ever felt like there was more out there?” You gave her an unimpressed look, and she blushed. “Ah, right, I meant, more out there for you, specifically? Have you ever felt something _pulling_ you?”

 

You paused in your ministrations as you considered her question. “I mean, yeah, but I dowse for it, you know?” You shrugged and went back to the fire.

Excitement and jealousy and wonder burst forth inside her. “You can dowse?! That must be nice!”

You snorted, grinning at the flames. “You think? Why’s that?”

She hopped off the chest and paced around, her hands waving around excitedly. “Well, if you need something, you always know where it is, you always know what you’re looking for before you get there, so you can plan accordingly, and…” She stopped just in time. She had almost said it, but she wasn’t sure how you would receive it. The source of her curiosity was controversial, after all...

You hummed, tactfully leaping past the space where the end of her sentence should have been. “Man, I wish it worked that way. It’s more of a feeling in my gut, you know? Without this beaut, I’d just be an asshole flying around hoping to get lucky.” You pulled an odd looking compass necklace out from under your shirt. 

“What does that do?” she asked, her shoulders slumping a bit.

“Eh, it’s complicated to explain. I guess the simple answer is that this allows me to get really specific. Usually I just have a broad sense of what I’m looking for, and where it is. So like, I’ll go out in search of some mushroom spores, I’ll head in the direction that feels right, eventually end up making wide circles around a point, eventually figure out I need to check the center of a circle, and end up finding a heart plant. With this, there’s a better, not perfect mind you, but better distinction, and a clear line pointing to where I need to go. Basically, this thing saves me a lot of time and frustration. Still, there’s a lot of guess work involved, and I’ve had to learn a lot about patterns in nature and stuff in order to figure out where I should go half the time.”

While she found that in itself to be fascinating, she really only had one question left, and no clue how you would react to it.  
“Have you ever felt anything… below?” 

You stared at her, before a wicked grin crossed your face. “You know, not too many people think to ask me that question…” 

A deep flush stained her cheeks. She felt as if she had just let something very important slip, given how smug you looked. 

“What’re you hoping is down there?” you shot back, mischief still twinkling in your eyes. 

She fiddled with the edge of her sleeve. After a moment, she gave up on replying with something clever, and opted for the truth. “I guess… answers?” 

Some of the mischief disappeared, and she was once again left with the impression that you held some vast wealth of wisdom. With a fierce looking grin, you pinned her with your stare, and suddenly she felt as if you could see her every thought. 

“I think we’ll get along just fine!” you proclaimed. The way you said it sounded rather final, as if something important had just been decided.

She couldn’t help but feel like something significant had just taken place. 

~*~

_It had been years.  
Long, grueling, uncompromising years that had taken a lot out of everyone, but things were finally looking up. The princess, now a poised and striking teenager, had been found, and Ganondorf had been defeated. _

_While that was all well and good, no one really talks about how hard it is to rebuild after a seven-year occupation of chaos. Despite your humble origins, you had been named lady-in-waiting to the princess. You had accepted the position with grace and dignity, but that didn’t mean you executed it in the same manner._

_At the moment, the princess was cradling her head in one hand while pinching her nose bridge with the other. She had just finished dealing with a round of complaints and requests from the citizenry, and was scheduled to speak with many more before she could break for lunch. As she relished in the momentary reprieve, you took the chance to slouch and stretch your limbs._

_“All I’m saying,” -- you started as you twisted in hopes of cracking your back --“oofh! Is that if you were so grateful for me saving your life, I would have preferred any number of things to having to stand next to you while you settle farmland border disputes.”_

_A wry smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “You’re thinking of this all wrong. It’s your fault that I survived long enough to be in this situation. This is my carefully planned revenge.”_

_An impressive snort left you, before you hastily worked to smother your laughter as the princess’s next appointment entered the room._

_~*~_  
_Far too many hours later, the two of you had retired to the guard’s training area. Zelda, dressed in her Sheika clothes once more, was in the middle of showing you a different way of disarming an opponent, while Impa looked on in amusement.  
So far, it was not going well. _

_You went to knock the sword from Zelda’s hand, but she always seemed to know what you were going to do before you did it. She tossed you off of her and pointed her sword at your heart once more. You merely responded by flopping down on the ground with a groan. She stepped forward and peered down at you with one eyebrow raised._

_“Just so you know, you are nothing but openings right now. Just in case you were mistaking this for a defensive strategy.”_

_You had thrown your arm over your eyes in order to block out the sight of the setting sun. Hearing the teasing lilt of her voice prompted you to peek at her from under it. “I give up. You clearly don’t need the practice, and I clearly don’t want the bruises,” you grumbled, the epitome of pathetic._

_She merely nudged your side with her foot._

_You let out a prolonged whine as you worked your way to your feet. As you made your fuss, she began to practice various stabs and twirls. You watched as her long braid whipped around her. Her face was perfectly calm as she twisted from form to form._

_“Really though,” you began with hesitance, “why are you so insistent that I learn how to protect myself? Can’t you just protect me at this point?” You crossed your arms behind your head in a stretch._

_She stopped, and regarded you, oddly serious. “That’s what I’m doing. You protected me seven years ago. Now I’m returning the favor. Sword up,” she finished with a soft commanding tone. You could feel the heat in your cheeks as you bent down to pick up your weapon._

_“Ah, now that you’ve got me all embarrassed, I’m really going to be useless…” you grumbled, not looking entirely displeased. _

_She answered you with a smirk before she charged in your direction._


	3. Your Princess is in Another Castle

_It was a lovely night. You leaned against the now-cool brick making up the wall of the castle and looked up at the stars. Crickets chirped, and frogs croaked. It was the sort of thing you heard when there was a river running nearby. You smiled softly to yourself and crossed your arms as you basked in the soundscape of the night._

_You had only been waiting there for about twenty minutes before you heard the lock of the door next to you turn. Carefully, the door opened slowly before a young woman rushed out in order to slowly close the door behind her. With great care, she closed it behind her silently, and locked it. She visibly relaxed once she was done with her task, and was about to go on her way, when your voice broke through the night._

_“Odd time for a walk, isn’t it?”_

_She jumped, before turning to look at you guiltily. “Ahh! [Name]... isn’t it a beautiful night?” she laughed nervously. You only raised an eyebrow at her before pushing off of the wall to walk past her._

_After a few steps, you turned back to her with a little grin. “Well? You coming or not?”_

_She straightened up before rushing to your side, a slight frown pulling at her mouth. “I am perfectly capable of protecting myself, [nickname],” she pouted as you both stole through the town._

_You shrugged, not looking back at her. “I know, but if I leave the princess without backup, they’ll probably hang me by my thumbs or something.”_

_She muttered to herself that that wasn’t a real punishment, but you paid her no mind. The two of you slipped past the castle walls and into the fields to the south. After making your way over a few hills, you encountered another figure in the darkness. The young boy called out Zelda’s first name before freezing at the sight of you and stuttering through her proper title._

_An impressive snort left you, before you hastily worked to smother your laughter as he stopped in front of you with an embarrassed blush. You went to exchange a look with your friend, but she was entirely focused on the new comer, much to your amusement._

_Zelda smiled, humor coloring her grin. “You seem just as used to royal customs as she is,” she laughed as she gestured to you. You huffed._

_He gave her an exasperated grin and confessed that he hadn't had much time recently to study such things lately._

_As they talked, you did your best to fade into the shadows. It was suddenly very apparent that you were not required for this situation, and it made you feel like an intruder._

_Much later, you met the young princess at the outer wall of the town in order to secret her back inside.  
You sent her a sly grin before turning to pick at the embroidery of your sleeve with a disinterested air. “So, that’s the boy you sneak out to see?” You glanced at her to catch her suspicion. _

_“Yes...”_

_You nodded, but returned to your sleeve._

_“Is that all you have to say?” Her tone was much frostier than when she had been speaking to the boy in question._

_Swallowing your grin, you looked at her with a mock look of innocence. “Shouldn’t we get you inside, Your Grace?”_

_She rolled her eyes and brushed past you. “I am not a Duchess.”_

_“Of course, Your Majesty.”_

_Her mouth drew to a tight line. “I'm not the Queen, either. What aren't you saying, [nickname]?” she asked over her shoulder as you both moved through the sleepy streets._

_You fought hard to tramp down your giggles. Clasping your hands behind you in an iron grip, you miraculously maintained your nonchalant air.  
“Your Excellency, I would never presume to withhold anything from-”_

_She cut you off with a stern call of your name._

_Allowing yourself a brief grin, you averted your eyes to the stars. “He's just… very good looking, is all.”_

_She stiffened once more, pink dusting her cheeks. “Oh? I… I hadn't noticed.”_

_She chanced a look at you, only to see the grin of a cat who had caught the canary. She was going to protest, but you cut her off by shrugging and looking disinterestedly away. “Okay.”_

_She remained tense, but slowly relaxed as you both neared the palace._

_It was as you were waiting for the cost to clear in front of the door you had both snuck out of, that you sidled up to Zelda's side and murmured softly in her ear. “Those pants didn't leave much to the imagination, did they?”_

_It was difficult for the guards to miss the princess’s indignant shriek, but your full-bellied laughter wasn’t helping matters much either._

_You were both quickly discovered._

~*~

He carefully shut the door behind him, before turning to press his back against it. 

“Link, welcome back,” you offered, your voice cutting through the quiet of the night. 

He froze. 

You were laying across his bed with your arms behind your head and one knee over the other. Your eyes flicked over to his, and he could feel just how dangerous you were. 

“You were with Zelda when she disappeared.” It was a statement, or maybe an accusation. It was not a question.

He replied with the affirmative.

You nodded before looking back up at the ceiling and closing your eyes. 

“You have seen Zelda since she disappeared.” This too was a statement with an accusatory edge. 

It took him longer to reply this time, but in a softer voice he affirmed once more. 

You sighed before kicking one foot up and using its downward inertia to aid you in sitting up. In your hand, you held a strange looking compass. After giving it a hard look, you turned to him with steely resolve in your eyes.  
“You are going to tell me everything, and then, you are going to accept my help.” 

His shoulders tensed as he looked down at his feet in thought. You stood up and walked towards the door before grabbing his wrist. “I wasn’t asking,” you intoned before marching him back out into the night. 

The two of you walked to the statue of the goddess, before the young man gently steered you inside the revealed room it held. There, he reluctantly began to recount exactly what he had been through.

You listened in silence throughout his tale, only stopping him to ask the occasional question. 

“That goof, Groose made it down there? Man, that guy is just too much,” you muttered, rubbing the back of your neck. 

Your blond companion simply stared at you, trying to feel out how you were taking the real bombshell he had dropped on you. 

Your look softened as you glanced to the side.  
“So… she’s Hylia… and she's frozen herself to keep us safe… from unspeakable evil. And you’ve been through fire and demons to stamp out that evil... Burning stars, that’s some heavy shit, kid. How are you holding up through all this?” 

He just shrugged and kicked at the dirt a bit. 

You nodded as you crossed your arms in thought. “Yeah that seems about right. Haven’t had much time to process all of this huh? Not having crazy nightmares yet, are you?” 

He pointed out that you were being a touch blasie about his mental health, which made you laugh. 

“Look, I’m sorry for dragging you out here like this, it’s just that I’ve been driving myself crazy trying to figure out what’s going on, and everyone else is just going about things like it’s life as usual. Zel… Hil… she’s my best friend, practically my little sister. I don’t care if she’s a goddess or a human or a Loftwing. I just.. I want her to be safe,” you admitted. For the first time in your encounter, your stony visage cracked, and a tear rolled down your cheek. 

Link watched you shudder silently for a moment as you fought to control your emotions. Finally, he placed a hand on your shoulder. With quiet words, he assured you that he wanted the same thing.


	4. Can't Keep a Good Woman Down

All of Skyloft was buzzing with activity. Zelda had been returned, and had collected a number of volunteers who were excited to forge the new territories below. As of now, people were making preparations for the journey below, as the first group was due to leave in two days’ time. While everyone else was rushing around, you had found a shred of peace on the rooftop of your home. The stars were starting to come out, and you were lazily picking out constellations among their numbers, when something much closer caught your attention. 

“Oh! Here you are!” Zelda murmured, looking almost shy as she avoided your gaze. “Would you… can I come up?” she asked softly. You didn’t respond, choosing instead to pat the spot next to you. 

She lay down on the rooftop next to you and took a few moments to get comfortable. You both stared at the stars in silence for a few minutes. 

Finally, as you knew she would, Zelda broke the silence. “Link said that he told you… everything…” she offered quietly.

“Yup,” you replied, popping the ‘p’.

She shifted again before asking in a more normal tone, “Are you… how are you?”

You made her wait a long moment. “If I’m honest, I’m kind of pissed,” you responded levelly.

Immediately, she shot up and turned to you, pleading. “[Name] I didn’t know! I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I honestly didn’t remember until I was in the middle of it all! Please don’t be mad at-”

But you waved her off. “It’s not about that.” 

She paused, considering you for a moment. “Well, what are you mad about then?”

You sighed and closed your eyes. “I’m not mad because you’re a Goddess, I’m mad because you’re a shit Goddess,” you intoned.

She froze, indignant. “Excuse me?”

You sighed again and pushed yourself up to look at her. “Look, all I’m saying is that I just risked everything for you, would have risked even more to make sure you were okay, and you’re telling me you never thought I might like some kind of hot guy harem as a reward?? Shit Goddess, that’s all I’m saying.” A teasing smirk spread across your face.

Her mouth fell open before she swatted you on the arm, grinning despite herself.

You both chose to lay back down on the rooftop and gaze at the stars in silence.

On the road below you, a mother was ushering her children home, admonishing them for staying out so late.  
“But Mom! Why can’t we go below too?” one boy whined.  
“Neither of you have Loftwings of your own, now do you? Just how do you think you would get down there?” the mother shot back coolly. You smiled fondly to yourself. 

“You’re coming with us,” Zelda blurted out. It was supposed to be a question, but you could tell she hadn't considered you doing anything else. 

You snorted. “What, you think I’m ever leaving you alone again? Give me a break. Besides, the kid mentioned that there are dragons down below and I _have_ to meet a dragon.” 

She seemed to relax a bit. “Oh thank the” -- she noticed you raise an eyebrow -- “thank goodness,” she finished deliberately. You chuckled. She nudged you, but continued, despite the dusting of pink on her cheeks. “I imagine that we’ll have to negotiate with the dragons once we start getting settled and traveling and whatnot. I also imagine there aren't too many in our numbers who would be willing to speak with them, period, let alone negotiate with them.” 

You stretched and grinned. “Fine by me. I'll pick hero boy’s brains. See what kind of gift he thinks they'd like.” You were about to ask her something to do with the surface, when something else occurred to you. “Wait. So he’s gone for good now, right? The bad guy, that is. Not Link.” 

Zelda didn’t respond.  
You shifted to look at her. In the dim light of the stars and far off torches, you caught a look on her face that made you, for the first time, really believe that she was an actual Goddess in mortal form. She seemed both new, and timeless. Her eyes seemed to gaze into eons you would never know, and ages long forgotten.  
“In this time, yes. He won’t be coming back… but it’s not for good.” She pushed herself up, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin on top of them. “If I’m being honest, I don’t know if it’s possible to stamp out an evil like that forever. What I do know, is that as long as that evil exists in this world, there will be a hero with a courageous spirit, and a princess with a sacred power to stop it.”

Slowly, you sat up as well, crossing your legs. You stared at the flickering light of a far off torch. “So you’re telling me that this fight is just getting started?” Slowly, she nodded at you. You nodded back, thoughtfully. “Okay, so where do I fit in?”

She looked at you, incredulous. “What do you mean?”

You leaned back on your arms so you could look at the moon. “You’re telling me that you guys are gonna be locked in some kind of eternal battle of good versus evil, right?” you questioned.

“Right.”

“Okay, so where do I fit in in all of this?” you finished.

She looked at you, puzzled. “You… don’t. I mean, I’m glad that you want to help, [Nickname], but I don’t think you’re getting it. It’s not like I’m picking members for a team, this is a destiny that Link and I must bear.”

You shrugged, the grin cutting across your face just a little too tight. “Okay, so make it my destiny too.” 

 

She rolled her eyes, her small grin colored with amusement. “You know that that’s not how this works.”

“Right. Of course. Well good job, Link. Glad to hear he’s on it,” you mumbled. 

Zelda’s grin faltered for a moment before she really took a good look at you. “Are you sure you’re not mad at me?”

You closed your eyes. “I am mad at you. Remember? You’re a real shit Goddess,” you shot back, your voice holding a little more bite.

She was frowning now, moving to sit cross legged instead. “Come on, don’t say that.”

You didn’t respond. On the outside, you were stone faced, determinedly looking at the moon, but inside, anger like poison congealed your thought processes. 

Carefully, she pressed on, her gaze turning down towards her hands in her lap. “With his last words, Demise vowed that he would return, again and again. That he would never give up on his fight against us. All of that malice, all of that… _evil_... She, uh, _I_ never wanted something like this to happen, but now that it has, it’s my job to see it to the end, even if there is no end. Sh-I dragged Link into this without meaning to, but in the name of the Goddesses, in the name of _good_ we will fight.” 

You took a deep breath, the irritation in your breast cooling as you forced yourself to work through why you were getting so mad. “I, look. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to get short with you. I am… Just... thank the Goddesses you’re okay. I was so scared that I was never going to see you again, and then I found out that Link had been running all over the world to get you back, and that was good too. I’m glad he’s so… dedicated to you, I just… Look, I’m an explorer-slash-adventurer-slash-natural bad ass for a living, and I’m pretty damn good at it, and I would… I would do _anything_ to keep you safe, you goof.” You blinked the tears out of your eyes as you stole a glance at her. She was still staring at her hands, but you could tell that your words had struck her. 

You huffed a small laugh and wiped eyes before looking back up at the stars. “I guess what I’m saying is that, I know that it’s selfish for me to get pissy over how you got saved, and I know that there are larger forces at work here, but I just felt like… well… I thought I’d be of more use to you.” 

It was her turn to startle you with a loud laugh. “Are you kidding me??” she exclaimed, slapping her hands down on the roof. “[Nickname], I only survived because of all of the things you’ve taught me! Even after Impa found me, we were always running and hiding and fighting, but I had all of these facts and stories from you to draw on. I could pick out healing plants, spot hidden creatures. [Name], I knew I could trust Impa right away because she reminded me so much of you.” 

You stared at her with wide eyes as your mouth moved without your permission. “You trusted her because she’s an asshole?”

With that, something snapped, and suddenly you were both laughing through teary eyes together. Just like that, the divide that had inexplicably grown between the two of you dissolved. The two of you finally stopped your laughter, laying back down to look at the stars. 

“Okay,” you finally said, chuckling to the stars. “Okay, I can accept that.” 

Zelda made a noise indicating that you should clarify, and you let out a content sigh. 

“I can accept that the role of badass hero is taken by someone else in your Good V Evil showdown. As long as I can still help you out, I’ll be happy.”

She let out a sigh. “Again, as much as I appreciate your willingness to support me, how do you know you’re going to be there too?” she asked, equal parts exasperated and incredulous. 

You thought about her, staying up late so that she could ask you a billion questions as soon as you got home from an expedition.  
Her, punching a remlit before it could attack you during the night, and then having to return the favor when she tried to apologize to it.  
Her creating scavenger hunts to help you hone your dowsing abilities further.  
Her, puzzling over her answers as you gave her practice tests.  
Her, talking about the boys in her life and laughing with you over your love life failures. 

You saw the fear on her face as you worked to save her from falling into the clouds for the first time.

You saw the triumph on her face when Link won the right to perform the ceremony with her.  
Never had you met someone half as kind, as supportive, as inquisitive, or as kick ass as she was. Never had you been surer of something in your life.

“Zel, as long as this is your burden to bare, of course I’ll be there to support you.” 

She didn’t respond, so you took the liberty to squash whatever sappy moment you had just inspired.

“Besides, eternal destiny bullshit sounds crazy enough to be right up my alley, don’t you think?”

She let out a loud, watery laugh before swatting you on the arm.  
“And you’re wondering why I didn’t give you a haram.”

 

========================================================================================

 

The ocean was a vibrant blue. It was vast, and unforgiving. Beautiful, and treacherous. Ever since she had learned of the evil that the water was shielding from the world above, she had felt both wearier of the depths, and more worthy to sail them.

“Miss Tetra! Miss Tetra!” called a voice, interrupting her musings. 

“How can something be this wrong when we’ve barely left port!” she grouched.

“A stowaway, Miss!” 

You were thrown at her feet. You still had your sketchbooks clutched to your chest, but they had taken away your bow. 

“Should we toss ‘er Cap? We’re still close enough t’ shore,” a voice called out behind you. 

Panic overtook you as your head snapped up to meet the young captain’s eyes. The two of you stared at each other for a moment, both of you left with the peculiar feeling of holding a puzzle piece that just _had_ to fit somewhere. She broke away first.  
“What’s your name, stowaway?” she asked with authority. 

Not wanting to back down, you sat back and crossed your legs, doing your best to look at ease despite your prized possessions being on the line. “[Full Name],” you shot back confidently. 

Tetra paced around you. “Did you know you were hiding away on a pirate ship?” she asked, her humor evident. 

“Yes, ma’am. I was hoping for it. You can only draw the same island so many times before you start craving more.” The young captain hummed to herself in thought, but you continued.  
“I’d like to sail with you, if I could. I can draw you all! I’m not too bad, and _fearsome pirates_ such as yourselves deserve to be remembered. Also, I’m dead useful with a bow, and I know my way around a good red potion if you guys have a need for that sort of thing.” 

She considered you for a long moment before letting out a short whistle and jerking her thumb behind her. Nudge, the man whose advice she trusted most, pushed off the rail of the deck where he had been leaning and joined her at the bow of the ship. 

“Whaddya think?” Tetra asked in a low voice. 

Nudge crossed his arms and sighed. “She just admitted that she is good with a bow. What’s gonna stop her from taking us all out, and robbing us blind?” Tetra hummed to herself, staring out at the ocean. “Okay,” Nudge finally conceded, “I know you’ve already made up your mind. Is there a reason you’re so on board with her being on board so quickly?”

She laughed, sparing a glance back at you showing the rest of her crew a few of your drawings, and at Link, who was leaning against the mast, studying you carefully. Tetra turned back to Nudge, an incredulous smile shaping her face. “I don’t know why, but I like the kid.” 

Nudge looked unimpressed. “You literally just met her.”

She nodded, looking out to the sea. “I know, that’s why I’m talking to you instead of just welcoming her aboard. Tell me why we shouldn’t take her.” 

He sighed. “Well, she could kill us all in our sleep, or shoot us all down from the crow's nest, if she even _is_ good with a bow, she could drug us all and rob us blind, we don’t have a need for an artist, we don’t know if she’s got people after her, we don’t know if she even knows how to sail… do you need me to continue?” 

She didn’t answer for a long moment, continuing to look out at the sea. Finally, she let out a sigh, her shoulders drooping. “You know, I’m hearing all of this, and I agree with you, but… I don’t know. Something about her just feels right.” 

Nudge made a noise in the back of his throat. “Well, you’re the captain. We’ve only gotten this far by trusting you. I just… are you sure about this?”

 

She mulled it all over in her head, bringing up the countless reasons why she needed to throw you out to sea and sail off. Despite her every argument being a reasonable one, she felt that her protests were halfhearted, and she couldn’t imagine why.  
She stared hard at the ocean, Hyrule and all of the strange things that had happened there crossing her mind and muddling things further. Suddenly, she was struck with the memory of an odd painting in Hyrule castle. The princess of Hyrule had been painted with an array of her trusted courtiers, all of whom had strongly resembled various members of her crew. At the time, she hadn’t paid much attention to it, but there had been an unfamiliar woman amongst them. One who, she now realized, shared your face.

She couldn’t have known then that you would go on to save Niko from drowning, help Link rescue her, and fend off a large scale stealth attack single-handedly, amongst a hundred other things, but Tetra didn’t _need_ to know any of that to feel good about her next statement. 

 

“Yeah, I’m sure. Let’s set sail.”


End file.
